The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-11
AFTERNOON,

appearance, few minutes before the
hour of beginning the services, of
President MILFORD Woodruff. TWAS a
happy denouementl The venerable
and respected leader entered the build
ing at the west end, went directly to
the stand of the presidency, and made
his presence known to the seated multi
tude by bow and wave of the hand.
He was recognized Immediately, and
before he had time to think, the congre-
CATION arose en- mssse and gave vent to
loud calculations OF welcome and ap-
plauded by hand-clapping the mortal
apparition which arose so Unexpectedly
and so pleasantly before their wonder
ing ewes. 1t was a spectacle which will
long be remembered. Among the thou
= sands who thus welcomed an honored
and beloved apostle, who had labored
faithfully for more than half a century
in the cause of the salvation of man
kind, and whose hair had grown grey
and white in the service, were those
his good deeds in the past; and as they
beheld him standing before them after
an enforced absence of some three
wears, their pent-up feelings found vent
in tears and as they resumed their seats
they were seen to weep with Joy.
Every available inch of space IN the
vast building was occupied. 1t was as
large a congregation as ever assembled
there, and Mr.. Henry Grow, the gentle
man under whose supervision the struc-
ture was erected and furnished, and
who has measured the seating capacity
stated that there were II ,0o0ipersons in
side when the meeting was called to
order, and a great many crowded
around the entrances on the outside.
People stood in all the aisles, rendering
it difficult for those distributing the
Sacrament to move among them
against the walls; behind the seats; on
the stand, eacroaching upon the space
allotted to the priesthood; the choir
was augmented to its full limit, besides
being added to by accessions from diff
ferent parts of the Territory.
In the stand of the presidency were
the Veteran Joseph B. Noble, President
MILFORD Woodruff, Apostles Lorenzo
Snow, Daniel H. Wells, John Henry
Smith, Franklin D. Richards, and
Patriarch John Smith. Among those
in the stand next below were Apostles
John W. Taylor and Heber ]. Grant,
Delegate John T. Game, President a.
NJ. Cannon and Elders Lorenzo Young,
John Sharp and II. P. Richards. Seven
of the apostles together at one time
were sight the people had not wit
messed for long time.
APOSTLE Lorenzo Snow, in behalf, ne
said, of President Woodruff, who was
present, called the meeting to order,
when the choir sang, with telling effect,
the hymn commencing,
Come, thou glorious day OF promise.
PRAYER by Apostle John W. Taylor.
Singing by the choir OF the hymn,
How sweet communion is on esl tn.
The Sacrament was administered by
the Twelfth Ward, under the direction
of Bishop II. B. Clawson.
PRESIDENT WILFoRD WOODRUFF,
addressed the congregation. 1t was OBJ.
served that his recent illness had told
upon him, and that his hitherto clear
ringing voice was a trifie husky. He
spoke as follows:
Nv brethren and sisters and friends
By way of introduction l desire to say
that feel to thank God and all my
friends for the Blessing l enjoy at this
time-for the privilege, once more, of
entering this Tabernacle and behold
ing the faces of the Latter day Saints.
And feel good deal as
Mark Antony did when he went to bury
Caesar. ST come to bury Caesar" said
he, "not to praise him" [ come to
see the Latter day Saints, but
not to preach to them. You have
plenty EOf Apostles and Elders to
preach the word of the Lord unto you.
But have long desired to again enter
this Tabernacle of the Lord and see
the Latter-day Saints. 1t has been
some three wears, think, since l have
met with the Saints of God in this
house; and 1 will tell you how | felt
about coming to Conference. | felt
that ii would not be doing our great
and mighty nation any harm-a nation
of sixty millions of people-for two or
three old men, Seventy-fve or eighty
years of age, to come into this Taber-
nacIe and look at the Latter-day
Saints, and at the races OF their wives
and children. do not know that L
have q wife or child here. If | have
they Will De able TO see now OIu nave
grown since We last met. Some OF US
have tried to keep the law to such an
extent that we have almost forgotten
how our wives and children look. |
feel, however, to say, God bless the
Marshal and officers of the government
as far as they can exercise mercy,
charity and humanity toward
the Latter-day Saints In full
filing their duty as officers
of the government. feel thankful
to-day for this privilege, and | feel at
peace with ali mankind. l am at
peace with ell my friends: as to my
enemies, l do not know that | have
any. If have, hope that We may be
At peace upor the principles OF the
Gospel of Chris. of righteousness and
OF truth.
Now, with regard to preaching to
you,ssmy brethren and sisters, that Is
subject l have thought very little
about. l have preached this Gospel
for soae fifty-four wears, and have
learned by experienc, q great while
ago that it is no use for an
Elder in Israel to, decide in his mind
what ne is going to say to the Saints
o! God This is the way feel to-day.
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